July 11, 2018

President Klaus Iohannis represents Romania at the NATO summit; The EC announced it monitors closely the justice system situation in Romania

Bogdan Matei, 11.07.2018, 13:24

NATO — Romania, represented at the NATO summit in Brussels starting today by President Klaus Iohannis, pursues the consolidation of the alliances eastern flank as its main point of emphasis. Romania also supports the development of the partnership between NATO and the European Union in areas of common interest, such as mobility of military force and cyber warfare.

JUSTICE — The Supreme Council of Magistrates decided today that the former head of the Anti-Corruption Directorate, Laura Codruta Kovesi, will be a prosecutor with the organized crime directorate in Sibiu. She was dismissed on Monday by endorsement from the president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis. She said that she would stay on as a prosecutor, but not with the ACD. Her dismissal was demanded by the Minister of Justice, Tudorel Toader, and the head of state refused it as ungrounded. The Constitutional Court said that there was a constitutional conflict, which ultimately forced the president to agree to her dismissal. A Council of Magistrate decision is also expected in a case filed against the former top anti-corruption prosecutor for allegedly not appearing for hearings in a special parliametary committee.

TENNIS — Romanian tennis pair Irina Begu- Mihaela Buzarnescu plays today the US- Czech pair Nicole Melichar and Kveta Peschke in the womens doubles quarter finals at Wimbledon, the third Grand Slam of the year. Begu and Buzarnescu are the only Romanians left in the competition.

FOOTBALL — France is the first team to qualify to the finals in the football World Championship. It won the World Cup last in 1998. In this years competition, it defeated Belgium 1-0. On Sunday, in the finals, France will play against the winner of the match between England, which won the world title in 1966, and Croatia.

BUCHAREST — The EC continues to monitor the events related to the justice system in Romania as part of the Mechanism of Cooperation and Verification, according to EC spokesperson Christian Wigand. He said it was essential to hold on to progress already made. He specified that EC president Jean-Claude Junker told Romanian PM Viorica Dancila on Tuesday in Brussels that she should act to normalize political discourse in Romania, especially as the country is about to take up the rotating presidency of the European Council. The Prime Minister talked about the challenges Romania has to face for that task, as well as as about the Brexit, the common agricultural policy, as well as security challenges. The visit of the PM comes against the background of political strife around justice legislation.